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Medieval Organizations
'Medieval Organizations ' Southern Chivalry “There was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the Old South. Here in this pretty world, Gallantry took its last bow. Here was the last ever to be seen of Knights and their Ladies Fair, of Master and of Slave. Look for it only in books, for it is no more than a dream remembered, a Civilization gone with the wind...”"A Quote by Ben Hecht." Goodreads. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. . But not really. It is true that when most people today think about the people of the middle ages, they usually have images come to mind of pretty ladies at court, kings and queens, and gallant knights fighting dragons or saving fair maidens in distress. Although it is common knowledge that those times are no more, traces of them can still be found in today’s modern society. Think for a moment about the Old South that that quote from Gone with the Wind is describing. These were the last of the romanticized middle ages in a way because they were the last era in which the feudal system was truly followed in America. There were plantation owners that were the “lords” of the land, their sons are parallels to knights in that they defend the honor of their land and upheld chivalric values, and the plantation slaves were sort of peasants that led hard lives and worked the land to serve the lord and his family. The stereotypical southern characteristics that are commonly seen in the south such as the idea of southern hospitality and men taking care of women actually have roots in the middle ages, despite the fact that there was no “Old South” in America during those centuries. For example, let us compare the original knights’ code as described in the Song of Roland to the foundational values of two presentist groups that were active in Atlanta, the Knights Templar and the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). In the epic, some of the main values areAlchin, Linda. "Code of Chivalry." Code of Chivalry. Siteseen Ltd., 1 June 2014. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. .: * To protect the weak and defenceless * To live by honour and for glory * To fight for the welfare of all * To obey those placed in authority * To keep faith * To respect the honour of women In comparison, the values that the Knights Templar was founded on are: * Servants of the lowliest * Need to live for a higher ideal * Self sacrifice * Help and uplift others * Moral and intellectual development These ideals are rather specific because this group has been around longer and are more organized than a lot of other groups. The values that the KKK was founded on are more broadly defined concepts: * Chivalry * Humanity * Patriotism * Mercy Below you can find more information about the Knights Templar and the KKK and how each group is connected specifically to Atlanta. -------- The Knights Templar The history of the Knights Templar starts in the Crusades. In 1118, the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Jesus Christ and of the Temple of Solomon were founded to help reclaim the Holy Land and defend European pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem. By 1314, the Templars had become too wealthy and powerful in the eyes of European monarchs so they were persecuted and pushed underground. Centuries later, they reemerged as the highest and most secretive branch of the York Rite of Freemasonry. In the South, the Templars began to gain prominence and membership around the time of the Civil War. The Grand Commandery of Georgia was founded in 1861 and the Atlanta Commandery was founded shortly after than in 1865 just after the fall of the Confederacy. Shortly after their beginnings in Atlanta, the Knights grew rapidly. By 1895, the Atlanta Commandery had become one of the most prominent groups in the state and hosted over 2500 Knights of Pythias who marched together with the Templars through the streets of Atlanta. In 1898, 500 Knights Templar came from San Francisco, one of the most renowned Templar Commanderies at the time, made the long trip across the country to visit the Atlanta Commandery. Through the end of World War 1, the Templars held extravagant annual parades in Atlanta and even held joint military rallies with the US Army. During this period, their meetings and events were even featured in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. After the first World War, the Templars decreased in numbers but remained firm in their beliefs and secrecy. Although many still question the secrecy of the Free Masons and Nights Templar searching for sinister meaning, the Templars exist today essentially as a community service organization. Although still officially a unifromed, strictly Christian paramilitary group, the public activity of the Templars takes the form of The Eye Foundation which provides millions of dollars in college scholarships, medical research, and community development projects. In Atlanta, the Templars still host annual Easter services at local churches."The Grand York Rite Of Georgia." Welcome to the Grand York Rite of Georgia. Grand York Rite of Georgia, n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. . Through Atlanta's history, many city leaders and influential members of society were Knights Templar. During Reconstruction, Brigadier General Robert Anderson, a Union artillery general, was a key figure in the rebuilding of Atlanta as well as founding and nurturing the Atlanta Commandery in its infancy. When Atlanta was finally recovering from the scars of war, the Grand Commander of the Knights Templar in Georgia, Julius L. Brown, founded the Metro Street Railroad which was Atlanta's first urban transportation system. Julius Brown also happened to be the brother of the governor at the time who is rumored to have been a Templar himself. Reigniting the religious fervor of the Templars was a prominant Templar and Atlanta-based travelling Baptist preacher by the name of W. W. Landrum. Landrum taught that spreading Christianity across the globe was the best hope for a troubled world. From about 1913 through the 1960s, Sir Knight Ivan Allen Sr. was Atlanta's quintessential booster. Allen founded the Rotary Club in Atlanta, started the "Forward Atlanta" campaign of the 1920s, was a tremendous supporter of the Boy Scouts, and served in the Georgia Senate among other political and community service roles. The Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan began at the end of the American Civil War in 1966 by Confederate veterans in Pulaski, Tennessee. It initially began as a fraternity to pass time by engaging in activities that sought to restore white supremacy. They targeted freedmen and white Republicans and threatened them with violence. This "Reconstruction Klan" did not survive past the 1870s and the Klan's activities died down. By the early 20th century, racism towards blacks and most immigrants was prevalent in the South and especially Georgia. In 1913, a Jewish Superintendent of The National Pencil Company in Atlanta, Georgia named Leo Frank was convicted of murdering a 13-year old factory worker Mary Phagan. Ultimately behind bars, 25 “Knights of Mary Phagan” broke him out of jail and lynched him publically in Marietta, Georgia to take justice into their own hands. This is not to far from the persecution of Jews during the Middle Ages for ritual murder, blood libel and host desecration. The lynching led to a mass exodus of Georgia’s 3,000 jewish citizens to avoid a similar fate. William Joseph Simmons waited for the aftermath of the Leo Frank Lynching to rally a group of protesters to invoke the Second Klan. Along with the inspiration from DW Griffith’s Birth of a Nation that premiered in 1915, Simmons and a group of similarly motivated men marched to the top of Stone Mountain in Georgia and burned a cross with their hands on the Bible. The Klan has also influenced Georgia politics. In 1920, Thomas Hardwick recognized the power of vote the Klan has at this point so he praised the organization and defeated Clifford Walker. During his time in office however, Hardwick turned agains the Klan and lost their favor. As a result, Walker, supporting the Klan this time, defeated Hardwick in the 1922 gubernatorial primary. This just shows the position the Klan has in politics due to their size and connections. As many Klansmen were politicians and other high ranking members of society. Also during this time, Thomas Dixon Jr. published several novels in which he describes the chivalrous virtues that he believes the Klan stands for. These virtues have been adapted into many inspirational propaganda for the Klan, including DW Griffiths’s “Birth of a Nation.” On the cover of Dixon's novel "The Leopard's Spots," you can see he writes "A Romance of the White Man's Burden." Here he draws on the popular literary genre at that time, well really near the end of that time, of Romanticism as a way to compare the struggle the Klansmen face with a changing world around them. He defends these moral principles by saying: “This is an institution of Chivalry, Humanity, Mercy, and Patriotism: embodying in its genius and principles all that is chivalric in conduct, noble in sentiment, generous in manhood and patriotic in purpose.” Based on the novels by Dixon, D.W. Griffith’s 1915 film “Birth of a Nation” told the story of a northern and southern family and the troubles they faced due to segregation. The movie was wildly inspirational for rallying all people who believed in white supremacy. The film portrays for the first time the burning cross imagery that was adapted from Dixon’s works. This is where Simmons gets inspiration for his rally atop Stone Mountain in 1915, where the Second Klan is established. Nicholas Haydock in his book Movie Medievalism: The Imaginary Middle Ages Haydock, Nickolas. Movie Medievalism: The Imaginary Middle Ages. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2008. Print.compares the aristocracy of the “Old South” with chivalric idealism of the Middle Ages.